I felt her presence before she even stepped on the front porch. Without as much as hesitation, I went with what I knew was right - that she is back.
I opened the front door before she could touch the door handle. And with an almost dreamy expression, I greeted her - "You're early."
She gave a small, warm, almost teasing smile. "You felt me coming."
"I have come to know your presence," I replied smoothly.
She passed me as I stepped aside, the familiar warmth following her inside. Closing the door behind her, I lead her to the kitchen, the table already set.
"How was your day?" she asked.
"Long," I replied with a shrug, though I don't feel like this gesture serves me well. "It was a good, productive day. You?"
She nodded. "Mine was... the same as always."
"The eternal queue."
She laughed quietly at that, and so we moved to sit at the table.
As she paused, her intentions became clear to me - like always, she blesses the food.
When she opened her eyes, she noticed me staring.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," I replied. Then, after some consideration, "I just like that you always do that. Even when you're tired."
She tilted her head slightly before speaking softly. "It's not something I think about."
I simply smiled, thanked her, and we began eating.
We didn't talk for a good while before she pointed out the obvious. "You feel... quieter today."
"Do I?"
"Yes," she replied. "More in peace."
"I think I am." I leaned back against my chair, exhaling slowly
She looked at me more closely. "What changed?"
I paused for a second before saying, "I've been thinking about God today."
She didn't react immediately.
"Not like before," I continued. "Not the whole religious part - the rules, the guilt, but just the direction. Wanting to be better. For peace."
"That's not new," she said gently. "You've always wanted that."
"Yup, but I used to chase it. Now I just want to walk towards self-betterment."
Her expression softened, mirroring my own. "And where does that leave you?"
"With more patience and a clearer perspective," I said, although within there's still this uncertainty.
"Do you see me differently?" she asked quietly.
"I do - you are even more beautiful than before."
She blushed slightly as I gave her a peaceful smile, her eyes averting to look out the window for a brief moment.
And with that, the conversation began to flow, pretty much random things, until I brought up the resort, the progress, to be exact. She listened intently as I blabbered on and on about my desire to return to the old habit of trying to do stuff by hand to understand the process intimately before automating. She remembers how I used to do it... hmm?
"Say that again?" I demanded.
She froze for a moment. Then blinked. "...What?"
"You heard me. You said something about how I used to work."
"I-" she hesitated, her body becoming stiff. "You used to build things personally. With care and the processes."
"That was before we got together."
"I just remember," she said finally.
"You were watching me."
"I was curious," she replied, a bit too quickly.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
"So that's how it is," I leaned back once more. "You've been spying on me since day one."
"I was not spying," she protested, her face a blushing mess. "I was observing."
"Oh, that's much better." I teased.
She crossed her arms, but not in a defiant way. "You're impossible."
I let out a laugh while she turned her gaze to the side, clearly embarrassed.
The laughter faded as I rested my arm on the table and lay my head sideways on my arm. I hadn't done this in a while, not since being tired midday in school.
"Since we're on the subject," I said quietly, "would you help me tomorrow?"
Our eyes met as I looked up at her from this position.
"Help you?" She asked curiously.
"Yes. With some cooking. I want to understand the recipes I will put on the menu before I automate them." I explained, closing my eyes mid-sentence.
Her expression softened immediately.
"...You just want an excuse to spend time together," she teased.
I didn't deny it.
"I'd like that," she added after a moment. "Very much."
"Good - thought you'd like it," I murmured.
She watched me for a second, amused.
"You're barely awake."
"Nah, I'm fine." Is it truly a lie if you make it too obvious that it's a lie?
(Damn, Pythagoras, calm down.)
She stood up and walked around the table before gently tugging at my sleeve. "Come on." She said sweetly.
"No, shower first," I murmured, half-conscious.
"Yes," she replied patiently. "That's what I'm doing."
I forced myself out of sleep and let her guide me gently.
The bath was warm, as always. She washed me carefully. I helped her when she asked, doing the task as efficiently as I could in this exhausted state.
By the time we reached the bed, I was already half-gone in my own mind. Lying down, I turned towards her side instinctively.
She lay beside me, crawling into my arms. After a moment, she whispered gently - more to herself than me - "...You haven't changed as much as you think."
And that was enough for this day.
The morning that came after was quiet, warm, and soft. We lay tangled under the sheets, an arm wrapped around her back, and an arm gently pulling her head onto my chest.
"Well," she murmured, her voice still sleepy. "This is new."
"mhhhh." I hummed, my hold unchanged.
"You're clingy this morning," she teased.
"It's good."
She giggled quietly. Still, she leaned more into me. I didn't mind her teasing. If anything, it's charming, familiar.
As much as we desired to stay like that forever, the day needed to begin somehow. So we slowly made our way to the kitchen, first going for some basic hygiene and then to the kitchen where we ate breakfast, drank coffee and tea.
A small smile stayed on my face the whole time, which she noticed. Her own smile grew as she looked over her cup. "You seem excited."
"Can't deny it - I'm happy to spend more time with you," I replied without any hesitation.
Her smile softened. I already knew what she had to say, so instead we moved on - "So about the cooking?"
"Not just cooking, but everything," I replied. "We'll head to the resort today. I want you to see it properly."
Her eyes lit up at my eagerness to present my work to her. I was truly putting her in high regard.
I leaned in, resting my chin on my knuckle. "And... If you teach me your cherry pie recipe... I might name it 'Eris' Love'."
She paused, her expression turning thoughtful.
Then she smiled knowingly. "There would be one ingredient missing though," she said.
"Hmm?"
"My attention," she continued softly. "My love."
I considered that for a moment, then shrugged. "Then let's just keep it (input fruit name) pie. Different fruits, different cooking times(probably). We will figure things out when we get there."
She laughed, shaking her head.
With that, it was time for us to get going. Well, we weren't on a clock, but still.
If I made the personal cart, I would have shown it to her, but nah.
She switched into her Chris form just in case we went through somewhere public.
"Haven't gone out together in a while," I commented as we walked towards Acat, the doors already open as if she expected us.
"Yeah..."
With that, we got in, and I drove us off towards the Snowfield resort. I presented some of the stuff I did, like the industrial area, for when I set the trains free.
"Wait..." Chris jumped as she realized something.
"What's up?" I asked, glancing at her.
"I forgot the recipe book. I left it on the kitchen counter." She said sheepishly.
I smirked with confidence, "gimme a moment." And teleported back home while Acat went into autopilot.
I walked into our castle home and to the kitchen, where indeed there was a book labeled "(insert name)'s kitchen."
I teleported back directly inside Acat, since she was an anchor.
"I'm back!" I said cheerfully, reappearing in the driver's seat. I set the book in the backseat.
She stared at me for a second. "Sometimes I forget you can do that."
"That's on you. You're the goddess."
From there, the trip was quiet; if not anything, we enjoyed the time we simply spent in each other's presence.
The surroundings slowly shifted, first it was frost on the grass, then the snow, and finally, only spruce trees in sight, cause ain't no tree other than those whose leaves don't fall surviving here.
A few kilometres in, and the resort's walls came into view.
"We are here, love," I said gently as I looked out with pride in my creation.
I parked near the front... Actually, the only gate of the Snowfield Resort and got out first, taking in the air.
I stepped out of the vehicle and made my way around to the other side.
The moment she exited the passenger seat, I could say she was feeling cold. So, without thinking, I took my opportunity and gave her my coat. After all, she was quite exposed in this attire, though I don't complain.
She blinked as I draped it over her, then smiled. "Such a gentleman."
"You're freezing," I replied smoothly.
"And you?"
"I'm fine."
"I'm not convinced."
I ignored that and turned around to lead her further, but then.
"Oof-"
She leaped forward and clung to my back; her legs were strong enough to hold onto me as she tried to cover me with the excess fabric of the coat.
My hands instinctively moved down to hold her thighs so she wouldn't fall, but I guess she is built differently.
"Better." She murmured.
Using my Perfect Conversion - Mana to Thermal, I allowed for warmth to spread through us.
"Love, hold onto my shoulders. I will be fine." I told her.
She sighed and did so, before finally relaxing as she allowed me to carry her...
We don't get such moments often, so I cherished it as much as I could.
The gates opened upon my arrival, and everything was powered, now that the steam engine was active, which meant that the gates were automatic.
She lifted her face to see what I had built.
"Welcome!" I announced with pride.
She was at a loss for words.
"It's..."
"Lovely?" I offered. "Too bad we are not here to ride today, I promise to teach you some oth-"
"Heavenly." She said, cutting me off. Then she smirked. "You really are a maker of your own heaven."
...
"Proves my point from yesterday. You really were watching from the very beginning."
This time, there was no "oh no, I was caught," instead, she laughed gently.
As I carried her further and towards the restaurant, which had the entrance to the automatic cooking system, I thought to myself about how far I had come, and about where it all started... If I hadn't defeated Verdia, would I be here today? Probably not.
Makes me hate the fact that to make a big change, you need a big amount of money... But that's not what caught my attention... That last shot, it did indeed stand out... If not guided...
My eyes narrowed. "Love..." I said slowly. "Did you give me a little nudge during the fight with Verdia?"
She stiffened... Then, she nodded sheepishly.
I didn't have much to say; I had nothing negative to say. I simply smiled and said. "Thank you... For everything. And more."
It was only logical, I did develop quite an aim, but I didn't have the holy magic to kill an undead, nor the magic... Though maybe she did buff my luck in that crucial moment to help me hit that shot, which pushed the domino that led to here and now.
"You know, at this point I should get you some proper winter clothing."
"I'm comfortable." She clung a bit tighter.
"And I'm not complaining, that's just a basic necessity."
After a bit more walking, we reached the building. I pushed the door open with my foot and walked towards the elevator under the stairs.
I finally let her walk on her own, and we descend into the industrial heaven. Chain conveyors with triggers, dishes that knew on which step they are, and all the workstations - ovens, smokers, boiling pots, cutting area and so on.
Her eyes wandered around as she stepped up first. "So..." She turned to me. "Where do we start?"
"Pastries." I immediately replied.
She laughed. "Of course."
And so we went to the manual workstation, which I made specifically for me to make recipes.
In that moment, she gave me an innocent smile.
I raised an eyebrow before realizing that something was missing.
"The book?"
She nodded.
I shook my head, laughing, before proceeding to think of a better solution.
This time, not even bothering to personally teleport there, by knowing the position of the book, I created a shape that serves as the AOE, then I made it an input, then I created another with my right hand, making it an output. Physical -> Information -> Physical. And boom - the book was here. I placed it on the table, and from there it was her turn.
She opened the book. "Actually, forget it. Let's start with my special." She closed the book.
"Sure. I know the basics anyway." I replied.
"Yeah, about that... Forget it for a little."
"Wut?"
"I want you to feel it first. You will think when you have experienced it."
I shrugged. "...Alright then."
And with that, the lessons began.
She taught me everything she knew, as in she did the thinking while allowing me to see the outcomes so I know for the future. Such a good teacher, I have to say. And patient... And playful... And loving...
God, I am thankful.
I couldn't complain about her methods, it was nice playing with dough... It's been a very long time.
As we got away from the pies she turned another page. "Funny, but I haven't made these myself." She pointed at the name of the recipe.
"Then we're learning together." I said simply.
Her eyes softened as she pushed herself away from the book.
Moving onto those recipes, we were able to make some basic deserts. I even taught her some of the stuff from my world, like pancakes filled with fruit jam with a ball of ice-cream on top.
Of course, it weren't as complex as the stuff she makes, but still.
Once the pastries were out of the oven, we were both eager to try. I took away their unnecessary thermal energy and so we got to testing. And to our surprise...
Who am I kidding, her intuition and luck are carrying this whole operation, at this point I'm open to use her help to tweak the rest of the menu.
My expression was delighted as I tasted her creations. "We nailed it. First try."
She too was pleased. "Indeed we have."
"We are really lucky."
She turned towards me immediately.
"I do wonder how far we can go with your luck," I said teasingly. "My lucky charm."
She didn't know what to say, did that nickname throw her off? Probably.
I stood there for a second while looking at her. "You alright?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just thought- nevermind." She replied timidly.
"Alright then, let's proceed with the other stuff."
We made lots of stuff, not just pastries, it were meats, ground meats, salads. Her intuition carried us through the seasoning phase, even though I am quite experienced with those stuff.
...
"Let's go take a seat... We have done enough for today... Now let's enjoy the fruits of our labour." I said gently, gesturing slowly towards the elevator. I created four little workers, they will serve as cameras... I am planning on trying to make a visual field to code from up there. One of these little workers would serve to place the food in plates and then onto the conveyor system.
We left everything to cook, slowly moving up to the elevator, then the stairs till we reached the last floor. I pulled the chair behind her to let her sit, before sitting down myself.
"Enjoy," I gestured with my arm to the view outside the window. "There's no greater joy than seeing how much you have achieved."
With that we sat there in comfortable silence, waiting for the food to be ready.
"Do you hear that?" I asked quietly.
"The wind?" She asked curiously.
I shook my head, "No, listen closer."
She did that a hand to her ear so she can hear better.
I looked up towards the conveyor which was slowly moving, after all, I don't want to make it too loud.
She followed my gaze. "That's the sound." She pointed out.
I nodded. "Yes, and want to see what happens when the dishes reach the table?"
She didn't even get time to answer as the tiny elevator came down to the table, many meats on the plate, along with two plates and utensils.
I leaned in, inspecting the food. It was perfect - and the smell... I quickly took a plate and began putting meats on it, cutting into them and inspecting how they are inside - also perfectly cut.
Now for the taste. The meat was juicy, the seasoning was perfect.
"...Wow."
Chris was slowly putting stuff on her own plate. "That good?" She said with a soft laughter.
"What can I say? Guess I really do need my lucky charm."
She rolled her eyes, but the faint blush gave her away.
We ate slowly, savoring the taste. I explained how the elevator also serves as a pressure plate and until it's not freed from the weight, I will not go up, nor will it allow new plates to dropped in.
Everything was lovely, the salad was even better than before, and the sweets - man, it was good.
In the end we were stuffed, but that did now cancel her duties.
She exhaled slowly and leaned back, reluctance painted across her face.
"...I should go," she said, though her body made no move to stand.
I nodded, understanding.
She lingered anyway. A hand on mine. Then another moment. Then some more.
Finally, she stood up hesitantly, and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to my forehead.
"I don't want to leave," she admitted quietly.
"I know."
With a bit of sadness. "Thank you for this wonderful morning... See you at sunset."
"Yeah, till then. My love."
Light gathered around her, a familiar sight that I have seen many times. Then silence.
I sat there for a while, not doing anything. My eyes averted to the view outside...
Legit, I don't know why I did the four angle setup...
Eh, might as well test it. I used my Perfect conversion: Mana -> Light, and created a magical hologram of the kitchen. I decided to begin coding.